On a scale of 1-10…

…how much does your weight affect your mood?

The whole notion of Weight Watchers is based on the weekly weigh-ins. There was nothing more satisfying than seeing the numbers go down each week and entering into a new stone bracket. I’m pretty sure that’s one of the reasons I don’t take drugs and am not much of a drinker: why take drugs when you can experience the same high after seeing your hard work pay off (I’m sure many of you will beg to differ). Along with that high, however, I can’t count the number of times that damn scale was a source of disappointment and frustration. Despite working out hardcore and being strict to the point (these puns have become a habit) that I would weigh an apple to make sure it was half a point rather than one point, I would either see the same number as the week before or an unexpected gain. While I did contemplate giving up, I never did- it was either giving up and probably gaining all the weight back or holding on to that thread of patience and perseverance.

Looking back, I wish I didn’t ‘waste’ so much time and emotion on being fixated on a particular number on the scales. Ultimately the scale doesn’t tell the whole story. It weighs all of you: fat, muscle, bone, fluid, stomach contents. It can tell you if you’ve lost weight, but it can’t necessarily tell you if you’ve lost FAT. Just because the scales didn’t reflect my efforts doesn’t mean they weren’t paying off. While I’ve lost a grand total of 2 pounds in the last year, I have actually lost 14 inches all over.

Don’t get me wrong…continue to weigh yourself regularly and use the scales to track your progress. However don’t let this be you’re only tracking tool. There are so many other ways such as:

• the fit of your clothes
• how much better you are able to complete new and challenging exercises
• your body fat percentage 
• improvement on the way you feel about yourself 
• how much more energy you have

And IF the scales are your only measure of success, then please keep the relationship platonic…it would be a shame to let emotions get involved 🙂